Karen Graham
Adzuki beans. Photo: Karen Graham
There are hundreds of acres around the township planted with Adzuki beans destined for Japan. One of these farmers, Paul Shaughnessy of Bailiboro, began producing the popular Asian bean five years ago under contract with the Hensall and District Co-op located in southwestern Ontario which has managed bean contracts for the Japanese market for over 20 years. This year Shaughnessy`s beans are headed for Thompson`s elevator in Pontypool instead of the Georgian Bay area as the market expands. An annual vine native to China and Japan, the bean is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine. Japanese domestic demand has grown dramatically over the past few years, with production unable to satisfy the demand, so import contracts were required to address the shortfall.
The small, reddish brown bean with a white ridge along one side resembles a small soybean plant in the field. It is considered a pulse, a term referring to the dried seed found in the pods of legumes such as peas, edible beans, lentils and chickpeas. These food sources are very high in protein and fibre and low in fat.
Paul Shaughnessy with his mascot in one of his fields of Adzuki beans headed for Japanese customers. Photo: Karen Graham.
Adzuki beans are very hardy, slow to germinate and mature later than some other edible beans, with harvest occurring mid-September. This makes the crop attractive to local farmers like Shaughnessy. Diversifying their crops helps in several ways: work is spread out as the timing of planting and harvesting is different from other common crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans and it also reduces their financial risk as their income is tied to a variety of crop prices. While Adzuki beans are more labour-intensive, they compensate by offering a premium price…
